Sara's Kidnapping
by kensi54382
Summary: Sara is held for three days by a suspect in an old case. What does he want? Will she get out alive?
1. Chapter 1

Sara had been kidnapped almost three days ago. She had been coming home from work when someone had smashed into the back of her car. When she had gotten out to see if the other person was okay, someone had grabbed her. She could still feel their hands on her arms, squeezing tightly when she struggled. She had screamed, but there wasn't anyone around to hear her. When they had shoved her into their car, she had hit her head and passed out. She had woken up in the warehouse she was currently in, her wrists tied to a hook in the wall. Her shoulders and arms were sore, her head was still pounding, and she was feeling nauseous. She had been alone for almost two days now, starving and thirsty. She was dehydrated too.

A loud banging sound caught Sara's attention. She looked up when she heard footsteps, and a man came into the room. He had a bag in his hand, but he put it down as he got closer. It was heavy, judging by the loud thump it made when it hit the floor. But Sara quickly shifted her attention to her captor when he got close and cut her loose.

"Stand up," her captor stated.

Sara stood on shaking legs. She hadn't been upright since she had exited her car. She stood still when she finally managed to get up, and stared defiantly into her captor's eyes. She was terrified, but refused to let him see that.

"Walk," he growled, holding a gun on her and pushing her towards the door.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Shut up."

Sara did as he said, feeling him press the barrel of the gun into her back. She swallowed when he led her into another room of the warehouse, this one soundproofed like a music recording studio. She had no doubt that he was planning on killing her, she just wanted to know why.

* * *

><p>Nick and Greg were exhausted. They had been working non-stop since the team had found out that Sara was missing. Despite Russell telling them both to take breaks, neither wanted to rest until they found their friend. For Greg, it was simply out of friendship and loyalty that he kept searching, but for Nick, it was love for Sara pushing him to keep going. He wanted her back, safe, in his arms where he could protect her.<p>

So far, the only evidence they had was a note from the kidnapper. In the note, it was stated that the team had just four days to find Sara before she was killed and dumped somewhere for them to find. No-one wanted to lose Sara, so everyone was working double time to find her. There had been no prints on the note either, so they had hit a dead end on the kidnapper's identity.

Russell had put Morgan and Finn on Sara's case files to find out if there were any grudges or perps that had been released recently. So far they hadn't found anything. Most of Sara's recent cases had been murders or high profile crimes, and the people that had been arrested were either in jail still or dead. Nick and Greg had been searching around looking for any leads. They had nothing either.

"Russell! I think we have something!" yelled Morgan from the layout room.

Nick and Greg were right behind Russell as they ran to the layout room.

"What have you got?" asked Russell.

"This case. It's one of the only cases that Sara worked this last month that wasn't high profile or a major crime. The other two are still in medium security prisons, but the suspect in this one, Jeffery Scorn, is out. He got out last week. When he was in prison, he told a security guard and another inmate that he was going to make the woman responsible for him being incarcerated pay. The testimony Sara gave was the key to him being sent to jail."

"Sara called the police to her place last Thursday after someone tried to break in. Police responded, found a rock near the window to the main bathroom. Sara let them dust for prints, and they found some partials that weren't enough to run. It was the same day that Scorn was released," said Finn, reading a report she had gotten from the police earlier that day.

"Where's Scorn now?" asked Russell.

"Detective Vartann is searching as we speak."

"Let's hope this is what we need to find Sara. How long is left?"

"One day," Nick said worriedly, like he didn't believe that they were going to get to her in time.

* * *

><p>Vartann was so glad when he finally got results for his search. Jeffery Scorn wasn't too bright. Though he had turned off his phone, the GPS was still available, and they had been able to track it. They had a location- a warehouse in Henderson, just off the highway. He texted the location to Russell and then grabbed a couple of officers and headed to his car.<p>

* * *

><p>Sara was visibly shaken when she finally got turned around and shoved into a chair. She could now see that her captor was Jeffery Scorn, someone that she had been instrumental in putting away. She struggled again as she recalled the crime he had been accused of- sexual abuse.<p>

"Stop squirming, or this will be more painful."

Sara was too scared to disobey him. She knew what he was capable of, and knew that he would do anything without fear. So she stopped moving. Scorn grinned as he strapped her to the chair, making sure the handcuffs were tight around her wrists. Then he proceeded to tighten a strap around her chest, keeping her in place for what he was planning. Once he was sure that she wasn't going to move or get free, Scorn pulled a small bag from under the chair and took out a syringe.

"Now, I won't use this on you if you tell me the truth. Understand?"

Sara nodded, eyeing the needle that was coming close to her arm.

"Good. Tell me what evidence the state has against me."

"What?" Sara asked in confusion. "You were already convicted and released."

"I have an appeal coming up. The prosecution wants me back in prison. So tell me what evidence they have."

Sara was lost. No-one had mentioned a re-trial to her, which must have meant that they had new evidence. "I don't know."

"Liar. One more chance before I give you this." He wiggled the needle in front of her.

"I swear I don't know. If there was a re-trial, I would have been called to testify again."

"I don't believe you." He stood and walked over to her. "I warned you." He stabbed the needle into her arm and watched her take a deep breath to stop from screaming.

"Now, again. What evidence do you have against me? And this time it will be the truth, because that injection contained sodium thiopental. I'm sure you know what that means."


	2. Chapter 2

"And then there's my testimony. That was what put you in prison."

Scorn was grinning. He was going to get his case thrown out now. If all the evidence had been leaked, there was no way they could use it in court.

"Thank you. You have been most helpful." He got up from his seat and unstrapped her. "Stand up."

Sara stood and Scorn pushed her ahead of him to yet another room. Sara knew exactly what he was planning then. She stopped, making him walk into her, and turned, ready to fight her way to safety if she could.

"Move." Scorn was already impatient to get this part over with before his deadline came.

"Hell no!" Sara took a step back and tried to run.

Scorn shot a bullet at her, but missed. He growled in anger and started to chase her, shooting a second bullet at her. He watched Sara fall as the bullet hit her leg, but before he could get close, he stopped and turned.

* * *

><p>Russell and the team were at the location before Vartann and the officers. They had scoped out the warehouse and found only one possible entry and exit.<p>

"You guys drive fast," said Vartann with amusement, though it was almost completely masked by his concern for Sara.

"She's one of us Vartann," said Nick, "we want her safe."

"So do I Stokes, so do I. Akers, Mitch, go." He indicated the door and the two officers moved forward. "You guys all have a gun?"

"Yes," said Russell.

"Good. Follow me and don't hesitate to shoot if you need to."

They all went forward in a single line. After a quick moment, Vartann nodded at Akers to break down the door, then they all burst in, shouting "LVPD!" It wasn't long before they heard a gunshot and ran towards it.

* * *

><p>Sara groaned as pain shot through her leg. She was trying to drag herself along the floor when she noticed that Scorn wasn't paying attention to her anymore. He was staring at the door, his gun limp by his side. She was amazed at this sudden turn of events, but glad that he seemed to have lost interest in her, even if it was only going to be short lived. Then she heard shouts, and her heart almost stopped with the relief she felt. She stopped moving and watched as a miracle occurred. She saw Nick burst through the door with his gun out. He was followed by the rest of their team, Vartann, Akers and Mitch, all with their guns drawn too.<p>

"Put your gun down!" shouted Mitch when Scorn didn't move. "Now!"

Scorn didn't do what they said. He just raised the gun to his head.

"NO!" shouted Sara as Scorn pulled the trigger.

Everyone did a double take, stepping backwards involuntarily for a moment. But no-one was more shocked than Sara, who had started sobbing. She wasn't feeling for the guy, but just glad it was over.

"Sara?" Russell asked as he ran over to her.

She just shook her head as he sat next to her and held her. She wanted nothing more than to be held by Nick at that point, but she couldn't get the words out to call him over to her.

"Greg, get an ambulance and the coroner." Russell kept holding her as he beckoned Nick over. "Hold her. I'll see what I can do about stopping that blood."

Nick was happy to sit down and cuddle Sara, and by the response he received, Sara was glad too. She buried her face in his chest as she cried, clinging to his shirt. Nick rubbed her back, whispering soothing words to her, trying to calm her down.

"The paramedics just arrived Russell," Greg said from the other end of the room.

Russell nodded. "Sara, we're getting you out of here now. It's gonna be okay now."

"Nicky, stay with me," Sara whispered into Nick's chest.

"Of course. I'll be there as long as you want me."

Sara stayed nestled in Nick's chest as the paramedics came over, one taking over from Russell and the other sitting next to Sara.

"Hi, I'm Amy. Mind if I take a look at you?" she asked softly.

Sara nodded, not wanting to let her anywhere near her, but knowing she didn't really have a choice. Amy gently helped her sit up straight, and then got to work, quickly making sure there were no other injuries.

"Let's get you up, and we'll take you to the hospital so they can check out that leg, okay?"

"Okay. But I want Nick to come."

"That's fine." Amy stood. She waited for her partner and Nick to help Sara get up and they headed out to the ambulance together.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Sara was in the ER, barely keeping her eyes open. She was exhausted, but she couldn't understand why.<p>

"Sara, can you tell me what happened here?" asked the doctor. He was lightly touching the needle mark on her arm.

She looked over. "He injected me with sodium thiopental."

The doctor looked troubled. He was worried about her now, especially after recalling the last time she had been in hospital. "Are you feeling dizzy?"

"No. Just tired. I have a headache."

"How long have you had a headache for?"

"Maybe an hour. Not long."

"Alright. I'll do some blood tests, make sure you aren't getting sick from it. In the meantime, you can get some rest if you want to."

"Thank you." Sara gave her doctor a smile to show how grateful she was.

She got a smile in return and let the doctor take her up to a room.


	3. Chapter 3

Sara had fallen asleep almost as soon as the doctor had left the room. Although she felt much safer now, she hadn't wanted to be alone. Nick was still there with her, holding her hand and reassuring her when he felt that she needed the reassurance. Per her request, no-one had come in other than nurses and her doctor, and she was grateful, especially knowing that eventually Vartann and Russell would have questions for her.

"Sleeping beauty awakens," said Nick with a wide grin.

Sara looked over at her best friend and couldn't help the smile that made its way onto her face. "Hi. How long was I asleep?"

"Around two and a half hours. The doctor came back ages ago with the blood test results. He said other than the truth serum in your blood stream, he didn't find anything. He's happy to let you go home in a couple of days, once he's satisfied that your body is coping properly after being dehydrated for so long."

"Are you staying with me?"

"As much as I can."

"Then I can wait two days." Sara yawned. "Does Vartann want to talk to me yet?"

"Yes. But not until tomorrow. Go back to sleep, I'll still be here when you wake up."

"You better be. Prince Charming never leaves his princess behind. Just ask Cinderella and Ariel."

Nick laughed. "I will do just that then. Now, go to sleep."

* * *

><p>Vartann was glad they had found Sara alive. While he was worried about her physical condition, his main concern had been her mental state, having heard her scream when her captor had shot himself. It was one thing to see that happen, it was scary and fearful no matter what, but Sara was a seasoned CSI who had seen a lot in her career, including suicides right in front of her face. Her reaction was all wrong for someone like that, yet completely normal for someone that had been dependent entirely on their captor for survival. He was worried that she had developed Stockholm syndrome, but wasn't sure how to approach that topic when he finally got to speak to her. He was still contemplating how to go about it when someone knocked on his office door.<p>

"Detective? Is there a problem?" asked Russell.

"Did Sara seem off to you yesterday afternoon?"

"She was in pain, scared. Why?"

"She seemed really hurt when Scorn killed himself. I know it's a horrible situation, but she's seen that many times before. She shouldn't have reacted like that."

"He held her for three days Vartann. What did you expect her to do?"

"For one, rejoice that he was gone for good?"

"Sara has been kidnapped and almost killed too many times for that reaction."

"Still, doesn't it seem like she had developed some kind of bond with him?"

"If you're talking about Stockholm syndrome, I don't think so. I think she just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"I don't know Russell…."

"Then ask her about it. Go to the hospital and ask her."

Russell walked out and Vartann finally made his decision.

* * *

><p>When Sara next woke up, the sun was shining brightly and Nick was snoring softly in his chair. She could smell food coming from somewhere close by and her stomach grumbled loudly, waking Nick.<p>

"Sorry Nicky," said Sara quietly, embarrassed.

"It's okay. You slept right through the night, missed dinner. I'll get the doctor to get you something before Vartann arrives."

Sara thanked him and watched him leave, immediately feeling vulnerable and exposed. She couldn't wait for Nick to get back. In a few minutes, she was shaking and had gone pale, feeling like she would never get to see Nick again.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, is it possible to get some breakfast for Sara Sidle? She's in room forty," said Nick to a nurse at the nurses' desk.<p>

"Of course. Her doctor doesn't want her having coffee, but I can anything else she likes," the nurse said kindly.

"She loves scrambled eggs on toast if she can't get any coffee."

"Give me a moment, and I'll have the kitchen make some." The nurse made a call and then told Nick the food would be up in around ten minutes.

"Thank you." Nick smiled at her and then went back to Sara.

The scene that greeted him scared him more than losing her had. Nick was at Sara's side immediately, hugging her and calling for help. She was in full panic mode, hadn't even realised he was there.

A nurse came in and gave Sara a sedative, something minor just to relax her and help her calm down. "She'll be okay in a moment. What happened?"

"She was like that when I came back in. She was fine when I left her."

The nurse seemed confused. "I'll talk to her doctor. Maybe there's something he can do for her."

* * *

><p>Vartann watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He had stopped walking as he had approached Sara's room. She was shaking at first, but then it blew up into a full blown panic attack until a nurse went in and gave Sara something that calmed her down. After the nurse left, he called Russell.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Sara was finishing off her breakfast when her doctor entered the room. He waited patiently while she finished the last of her toast and drank the last of her juice before gently bringing up the panic attack.

"Sara, tell me what happened. What made you so scared?"

Sara shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. She felt Nick slide onto the bed beside her and she leaned into him, using his strength to calm herself again.

"Please?"

"Nick left," she whispered, not looking anyone in the eye.

The doctor didn't hear her properly, but Nick did. He pulled her against him, being careful of her bullet wound, and hugged her.

"I'm not going anywhere sweetheart. And even if I do, I'll always come back."

The doctor finally understood the issue. "It's not you leaving. You said she was held for three days?"

"Yes."

"In those three days, the only person she could rely on to survive was the person that kidnapped her. Despite his cruelty, she had to form a bond with him so she wouldn't die in there." He didn't want to say the words out loud, especially in front of Sara.

Nick nodded. "I get it. But he's dead now."

"And she can't rely on him anymore. She just needs to readjust herself. It won't last. Three days isn't long enough to develop a bond that will make her unable to function alone."

"Is there something I can do to help her?"

"Not that I know of. I can give you a number for a therapist. She specialises in these cases. She'll be able to tell you what you need to know to help Sara get through this as quick as possible."

"Thank you Doctor," Nick said sadly.

After the doctor was gone, Nick held Sara, rubbing her back and whispering to her until she stopped shaking and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Russell arrived at the hospital twenty five minutes after Vartann had called him. He was extremely worried about Sara.<p>

"Vartann, what's going on?"

"I spoke to her doctor. I was right about the Stockholm syndrome. The minute Stokes left that room, Sara panicked. Poor thing. She only calmed down when a nurse gave her a sedative."

"What did the doctor recommend?"

"He's not too worried as long as she can still see someone she knows and trusts completely. But he wants her to see someone when she gets out of here, if only to learn how to cope."

"What do you think?" asked Russell, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

"I want a psych eval done. I want to know how she's been affected so I can press extra charges. He wasn't working alone. Your guys found a second set of DNA in the room. Another guy. God only knows what would have happened had we not gotten there when we did."

"I don't want to think about that one. I want to focus on Sara right now. What can we do at the moment?"

"Nothing. The doctor doesn't know what to do. He's given Stokes a phone number for a therapist specialising in Stockholm syndrome so we can find out what to do."

* * *

><p>"Hey Greg," said Morgan, "has Nick called you yet?"<p>

"Yeah. Sara's okay, the doctor just wants to keep her a couple of days. Nick is staying with her. Why?"

"Russell just called. Sara had a panic attack an hour ago. Because Nick left her."

"Left her?"

"He went to get a nurse, and when he came back, she was shaking and scared."

"Poor thing. I wonder why she got so scared like that."

"Russell said the doctor thinks it might be Stockholm syndrome."

"After just three days? I don't know…"

"She has all the symptoms Greg. I think the doctor is right."

"She doesn't need this Morgan. She's gone through enough lately."

"I know that. We can help her, I know we can."

"How?"

* * *

><p>Sara awoke with Nick still next to her. He was asleep, his arm still around her in a protective embrace. She snuggled in closer to him, wanting to be near enough to feel safe. He tightened his arm around her after she settled against him, and then woke up.<p>

"Hey honey," he whispered, giving her a light kiss on the head. He really wanted to kiss her properly, but wasn't sure how she would take it. "Feeling better?"

"No. I still don't want you to go," Sara answered truthfully.

"I'm not going anywhere, remember?"

Sara nodded, but she continued clinging to him. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Vartann knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I have a few questions Sara. It's okay if you don't want to answer, I won't push you, but I would like to catch the other person that was responsible for you getting hurt."

"Other person?"

"Another man. Did you ever see or hear someone other than Scorn?"

"No. I know it wasn't Scorn that grabbed me though, whoever took me was a lot stronger."

"Did you see him?"

"No."

"Do you remember anything about him? A smell, a tattoo? Anything?"

"He doesn't use deodorant, that's for sure."

Nick and Vartann laughed, each feeling for Sara at that comment.

"What else? Was he hairy? Big?"

"I don't remember, sorry. All I remember is being lifted up, and easily. He didn't seem to find it difficult to pick me up."

Something clicked in her mind. "Maybe they are familiar actually. Under his body odour, I smelled something else. It reminded me of the rainforest I was in when I went to Costa Rica."

"How is that familiar?"

Nick jumped in, talking to Sara more than Vartann. "You thinking of Grissom?"

Sara nodded, tears in her eyes. "He wouldn't though Nicky, right?"


	5. Chapter 5

Nick didn't know what to say. He never would have thought Grissom could hurt anyone, but, after the way he had treated Sara, he wasn't so sure anymore. Sara was asleep now that Vartann had gone to see if he could locate Grissom, but Nick knew she was hurting. He knew she didn't want to believe that Grissom could hurt her. Hell, she didn't even want to believe that he didn't love her anymore. The poor girl had been through enough at Grissom's hands, she didn't need this too.

Nick gently woke Sara, pulling her into his arms as soon as she was awake. "Sara, do you still love Grissom?"

Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know Nicky. I think I want him back, if only for an explanation and a proper divorce. But I don't have feelings for him anymore. Why?"

"Is there someone special that I can beat up?" Nick asked her with a straight face.

"Nope. And even if there was, do you think I would let you hurt them?" Sara laughed, and Nick knew he had succeeded in taking her mind off everything.

"Please? Anyone?"

"Well, now that you mention it…. There is someone I like, but he doesn't know yet."

"Oh really? Who would that be?" Nick knew who it was because he felt exactly the same.

"I work with him. Same shift. He's got this Texan drawl, and he is a real gentleman, sometimes. But he's been my friend since I first came to Vegas, and he's my favourite guy. He's also really patient. He's had a crush on me since he first met me." Sara looked at Nick, feeling vulnerable.

"Guess what? I think I know who you're talking about, and he's been waiting fifteen years for the chance to go out with you."

Sara leaned into Nick and looked up at him. "I love you Nick. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you."

"It's not a problem." He gave her a kiss. "As long as I get to keep doing that."

Sara finally felt safe for the first time since she had been taken. She kissed Nick again, and then settled in his arms, content to just stay in that position for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>"Hello?" asked Catherine tiredly. She had just come off a long shift and was ready to sleep.<p>

"Catherine? It's Lou." Vartann had missed the sound of her voice.

"Hey. Listen, as much as I love talking with you, can it wait? I'm exhausted."

"I won't be long. Listen, you were the only team member down here that knew Grissom really well…."

"Let me stop you there Lou. Sara knew him better than I did. Why aren't you talking to her?"

"Because she doesn't want to talk about him. They got divorced two years ago."

"Poor Sara. She really loved him. Is she coping?"

"Better than anyone thought she would. But she has Stokes and Sanders on her side. I need your help."

"For what?"

"Finding Grissom. He's a potential suspect in my current case."

"Grissom is your suspect?" asked Catherine incredulously. "Who's your victim?"

"Sara."

"What? Are you out of your mind? He wouldn't hurt her."

"Sara gave me a description of one of the men that kidnapped her. She thought it could have been Grissom."

Catherine was shocked. She didn't know what to say, except that she was sure it couldn't be Grissom.

"And if it is? We can't let him be free if he plans on hurting Sara again."

"Give me a few hours. I'll fly up there and help I guess. But, Lou, Sara has to be mistaken. There's no way that Gil Grissom would ever hurt Sara Sidle."

* * *

><p>Catherine stepped off the plane at McCarran International Airport two hours later. She had asked her boss to transfer her to the Las Vegas FBI department for a few days so she could help Vartann and Russell. It hadn't been a problem, her boss liked her a lot and almost always gave her what she wanted. As she came out of the airport twenty minutes later, Catherine noticed that Vartann was waiting for her. She smiled to herself, having missed him as much as he had missed her.<p>

"Finally Catherine. Took you long enough to get here. I've been waiting for two hours now," said Vartann happily.

"Quit complaining and let me get in the car. I'm tired."

Vartann took her bags as she got into the passenger seat of the car, and then climbed in himself, driving off to the lab with her. "Thought you might want some coffee," he said and handed her a steaming cup.

"Thanks Lou. How's Sara doing?"

"She'll be okay. The doctor is letting her go home tomorrow." He didn't sound very convincing.

"But?"

Vartann hesitated. "But… She's got Stockholm syndrome. Or at least the beginnings of it. She freaked when Stokes left her to get a nurse. He was gone maybe two minutes."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know yet. All I got from her was what happened when she was grabbed before she remembered that it could have been Grissom. I'm going over to see her tomorrow when she gets home to get the rest of her statement."

"I'm coming with you."

"No. You are not a cop with LVPD."

"Doesn't matter. You can ask the questions, I want to see my friend. And if you don't take me, I'll get Greg to."

"You're still as stubborn as ever Catherine."

"So are you Lou."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: This is the last update until after Christmas. Enjoy the holidays!

* * *

><p>"Ready to go home Sar?" asked Nick.<p>

"Yes." Sara was more than ready to go home. Her doctor had finally told her about how he thought she could be suffering from Stockholm syndrome, and though she had initially denied it, she had thought it through and had to agree. She was definitely showing signs of it.

"How are you feeling about what the doctor said?"

"Confused, but he's right. If I think about it, I can understand where he's getting it from. Is there something we can do about it?"

"I have the number for a therapist. The doctor said she's a specialist in that problem and should be able to tell us how to fix this."

Sara nodded as she stood up on her crutches. She had refused a wheelchair, stating she needed to learn how to use the crutches anyway, and that this would be a perfect chance to do so. No-one was arguing with her, they were glad that she was willing to learn how to cope with her current situation.

Nick took the crutches from Sara once she was in his car. He laid them in the back seat and then got in, starting the car and heading to Sara's house. By the time they arrived, Sara seemed more like herself than she had over the last two days. She was out of the car the moment Nick handed her the crutches.

"Sara, slow down honey," laughed Nick as he followed her inside.

"Nicky, come sit," Sara answered. She tapped the couch cushion next to her.

"I'm coming speedy one-foot."

Sara laughed as Nick joined her on the couch, cuddling into him. She was going in for a kiss when her doorbell rang.

"I'll get it Sar. Be right back." Nick stood and walked to the front door, looking back to check on Sara as he went. He opened the door and smiled when he saw who was there. "Come in. Sara's going to be so happy to see you!"

* * *

><p>Catherine knocked on the door of Sara's house, glad to be able to see her, but nervous too. She hoped that Sara had missed her too. She waited nervously as she heard voices inside the house and then someone walking towards the door. When it opened, Catherine just wanted to engulf Nick in a hug that would never end. And by the look on his face, he wanted to do the same thing.<p>

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Come in. Sara's going to be so happy to see you!" Nick exclaimed, smiling so widely, it looked like he would be hurting later.

Catherine stepped into the house she had only been in once to see Sara after they had rescued her from the desert. It looked almost exactly the same as it had back then, the only difference being the lack of bugs that Grissom had insisted on.

"Sara's in the living room. I'll get you a drink," said Nick as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Catherine walked into the living room a moment later, beaming when she saw Sara sitting there. Her friend looked a little pale, but otherwise okay. Her leg was raised on the couch as she read a book. She looked like there was nothing wrong, but her eyes kept darting around the room, as if she were looking for someone.

"Sara?" Catherine asked gently.

Sara turned and looked over. Her smile was bigger than Nick's. "Catherine!"

Taking that as an invitation, Catherine walked over and gave Sara a hug. She had missed her so much. When they pulled apart, Catherine looked over Sara, as if searching for any visible injuries.

"I'm okay Cath. Just sore, and tired, but okay. You can stop worrying," laughed Sara.

"Sorry," Catherine said, embarrassed. "Vartann called me last night, said you had been kidnapped and hurt. I had to come and see if you were okay with my own eyes. I hope it's okay that I dropped by unannounced."

"Of course it is. Don't be silly. You are always welcome."

Catherine gave her an appreciative smile, feeling less nervous now. She opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped when Nick came in and she saw Sara light up.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you two dating?"

"Actually, we are," said Nick. "You have a boyfriend in California?"

"I wish. No. Work keeps me pretty busy actually. The only time I have off is taken up by sleep and Lindsey. How's work for you guys?"

"The same. The woman that replaced you seems nice, but she's not you. We tried a girls' night out with Morgan last year, and it ended in Finn getting hurt. This year, we tried again, Morgan lost a friend, Finn got stuck in an elevator with a dying on again, off again, boyfriend, and I almost got shot by a guy that was angry at us for an inquiry that happened a long time ago." Sara grinned wryly. "Why does this have to happen? Morgan and I, we can have fun together. You and I never had that problem."

"Sounds like this Finn is a magnet for trouble."

"Yeah, but she's nice. She's easy to get along with too."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. This chapter will be the last posted for at least the next week or two. There is a lot happening right now and I can't be here as much as I would like. Sorry for the long delay!

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><p>Vartann knocked on the front door, seeing that Catherine's borrowed police car was already there. He sighed and shook his head as he smiled. She really was persistent, even more so then he remembered her being. It wasn't a bad thing, in the FBI anyway, but sometimes he wished she would listen to him. It's not that he didn't want her to see her friend, but if Sara somehow attached to Catherine while she was visiting, there would be no way for the young woman to cope when Catherine went back to California.<p>

Vartann stopped thinking about that when the door opened to reveal Nick standing there. He smiled a little and went inside when Nick stepped aside to let him through.

"How is she today?" asked Vartann.

"Better. She's not as attached anymore, but she still seems to get worried when she's alone. Catherine's here, by the way. She's sitting with Sara, and God only knows what they're talking about in there." Nick grinned. "But she's happy, and that's all I want for her right now."

"Can I talk to her?"

"You can try. I doubt she'll tell you anything useful though."

"Always happy to try."

"Okay. Well, I'll be there in a minute. I just want to get some water for the girls." Nick closed the door and headed to the kitchen.

Vartann walked into the living room, and spotted Sara immediately. She was laughing so hard with Catherine, she looked like she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. He waited until they had calmed down and then headed over to the couch, waving as he got closer.

"Hi Detective," said Sara when she finally stopped giggling. "Can we help you? Nick's in the kitchen, he's probably the only one that is sane right now." She started laughing again, which in turn made Catherine laugh.

"I think he is the only sane one, but, I'm here to see you. Can we talk?"

"Sure. Catherine stays though." She knew what he wanted, and she didn't feel like being alone while she told him.

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><p>Greg picked Morgan up from outside her apartment building and headed off. They were going to get dinner before work and talk about how they could help Sara. Neither of them knew that Catherine was in town yet, and they didn't know that she had already helped Sara move past the Stockholm syndrome.<p>

"Hey Greg, thanks for the ride," said Morgan when she got into the car. "I had an idea this morning about how we might be able to help Sara. But it might sound really mean."

"What's the idea?" asked Greg.

"What if one of us, or both of us, took Sara somewhere for the weekend, without Nick. It would force her to stop clinging to him."

"But she might end up holding onto us then."

"No. She won't. She depends on Nick. She won't have to depend on us. We could take her to a hotel or something, where she's free to do what she wants, as long as it doesn't involve Nick."

"Do you really think that would work?"

"I don't know what to think. I just know that we have to try something before this gets any worse than it already is."

"How about after shift, we stop by her place and see if she's up for some fun? Nick will be busy, so she'll need someone to spend time with, right?"

"Yeah, we can definitely try that. Maybe, while we're there, we can mention this new spa that just opened. I can take her there for the weekend."

"Good idea. Let's do that." Greg smiled at his girlfriend.

"Thank you." She smiled back.

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><p>Sara and Catherine had stopped laughing now. Catherine was watching her friend carefully, trying to see if she needed anything. She wanted to make sure that Sara was comfortable, especially right then, while she had to give a statement and tell them what had happened to her.<p>

"Sara, are you okay with telling us? Cause you don't have to. Not yet anyway." Catherine wanted to make her feel better.

"It's okay. I can tell you. Where's Nick?" Sara asked as she looked over Vartann's shoulder. "I want Nick first."

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><p>AN: Sorry for the short chapter. The next one will be much longer.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

Nick entered the living room just as Sara asked for him. He put the water down and walked over to her.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" asked Nick as he cuddled Sara to him.

"I have to tell them what happened. Stay with me?" answered Sara quietly.

"Of course angel pie." He kissed her head.

Sara felt much better with Nick there. She began to tell Vartann what had happened to her over the three days she had spent with her kidnapper. The words just tumbled out of her mouth as she struggled to explain everything without crying. She didn't look around, but she knew Catherine was there still, her mouth hanging open in shock as she listened to Sara's explanation.

"I didn't see who originally attacked me, but when I woke up in that warehouse, tied to the wall, I saw Scorn there. He was staring at me, grinning, but I was dizzy and I didn't notice what he was doing. I must have passed out again, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up to see that Scorn was gone and I was alone. I could hear people talking nearby, two men, and I could tell one was Scorn. I felt like I knew the other voice, but I couldn't place it right then, and I honestly didn't care anyway. I just wanted it to be over."

Vartann wrote down what Sara was saying, glancing at Catherine every so often to ensure that she was okay. He wanted to make sure that she didn't react in a way that would put Sara off from telling them the rest of what had happened. After he finished making notes, Vartann looked up at Sara.

"Do you need to stop?" he asked gently, aware that she could have the same reaction as she had in hospital after figuring out that the second person was most likely Grissom.

"No. I'm okay." Sara cuddled into Nick again, but was still looking at Vartann, which he took as a good sign.

"When you're ready, please continue."

Sara took a deep breath. "Nobody came back after that. I don't know where they went, but they didn't come back in. I was alone for about two days before Scorn came back. And I was terrified that whole time. I didn't know what to expect. All I knew was that I was starving. After a while, I actually started to believe that maybe that would be how they would get rid of me. They would let me starve to death. I guess not though. When I thought I couldn't take it anymore, the door slammed open and Scorn walked in. He was holding a bag. I don't know what was in it, just that whatever it was must have been heavy. It made a pretty loud thumping sound when he dropped it. He cut me loose and when I got up, he shoved his gun into my back, told me to walk. We got to another room and he made me sit down. He tied me to the chair and started to ask me questions about his retrial, something I had no idea about. I told him as much, but he obviously didn't believe me. He injected a truth serum into me when he wasn't getting the answers he wanted, and he made me tell him exactly what evidence had been used in the original trial. He was laughing by the time I finished telling him. He thanked me for being 'helpful'," Sara said, hooking quotation marks, "told me to stand up, and pushed me to another room, the one you found me in. I knew exactly what he was planning at that point, and it scared the living hell out of me."

Nick pulled her to him, holding her close in case she needed comforting. He had a feeling that the next part of her statement was going to be the hardest part for her. So far, she had managed to stop herself from crying, but he could see the tears waiting to fall.

"Scorn was going to rape me, I know he was," she sniffled, clinging to Nick. "I wasn't going to let him, so I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face him. I wasn't going to let him do it. He told me to move, or more accurately, yelled it at me, but I said no and tried to move past him. He shot at me, and I ran. It didn't stop him from shooting again. The bullet hit my leg and I fell. I was trying to drag myself backwards when he just stopped and turned away. Something caught his attention, but I don't know what."

"What happened next?"

"You and Russell and the team came in. Then he shot himself," said Sara softly. She turned and buried her head in Nick's chest as she started crying.

Vartann nodded. "Thank you Sara." He stood and said goodbye.

"Sara, I am so sorry that happened to you," said Catherine, tears streaming down her face as she hugged her friend.

"It's okay. It's not your fault Cath," Sara said with a small smile.

"But he hurt you, and I wish I could have stopped it."

Sara knew Catherine meant it, but she laughed. "Stop something from happening when you don't live here anymore?"

"I really should transfer down here, be back where I love." Catherine smiled. "I miss you guys."

"We miss you too Cath," said Nick as they all hugged each other so Catherine could leave.

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><p>A.N: The next chapter is mostly going to be Morgan and Sara.<p> 


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